Filmmaking MA

Our ScreenSkills accredited MA Filmmaking programme provides a stimulating, supportive and professional environment in which you can freely yet rigorously develop your unique voice and develop the skills to transform dreams into cinematic realities.

The programme is designed to support those who wish to work professionally in a variety of roles; including as directors, producers, writers, editors, cinematographers, sound recordists, designers and editors. Students will be taught advanced industry practice in fiction, documentary or experimental filmmaking genres, including immersive virtual reality productions.

Working collaboratively, students will each make three films over the course of the year (a documentary, a fiction film, and then a graduation film in any genre). You will combine theory and production in film practice modules, whilst also extending your professional knowledge and industry understanding of the practice of filmmaking in two other classroom-based modules.

Teaching on this master's is undertaken by active and award-winning film practitioners. You will also have the opportunity to attend specialist industry events at the Glasgow Film Festival. Opportunities will also exist to learn from the professionals who work in Film City and, on occasion, for you to make use of the Film City facilities to complete post-production on your own films.

Mixing the best of behind-camera talent, with the business expertise that takes scripts from the page, through development and, finally, to the big screen, we seek to inspire and equip our students with knowledge and contacts necessary to fulfil their ambitions.

*This programme is delivered from Film City Glasgow, with some delivery at our Ayr campus. 

Our ScreenSkills accredited MA Filmmaking programme provides a stimulating, supportive and professional environment in which you can freely yet rigorously develop your unique voice and develop the skills to transform dreams into cinematic realities.

The programme is designed to support those who wish to work professionally in a variety of roles; including as directors, producers, writers, editors, cinematographers, sound recordists, designers and editors. Students will be taught advanced industry practice in fiction, documentary or experimental filmmaking genres, including immersive virtual reality productions.

Working collaboratively, students will each make three films over the course of the year (a documentary, a fiction film, and then a graduation film in any genre). You will combine theory and production in film practice modules, whilst also extending your professional knowledge and industry understanding of the practice of filmmaking in two other classroom-based modules.

Teaching on this master's is undertaken by active and award-winning film practitioners. You will also have the opportunity to attend specialist industry events at the Glasgow Film Festival. Opportunities will also exist to learn from the professionals who work in Film City and, on occasion, for you to make use of the Film City facilities to complete post-production on your own films.

Mixing the best of behind-camera talent, with the business expertise that takes scripts from the page, through development and, finally, to the big screen, we seek to inspire and equip our students with knowledge and contacts necessary to fulfil their ambitions.

*This programme is delivered from Film City Glasgow, with some delivery at our Ayr campus

 Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree pass  For programmes requiring Honours Degree applicants must have achieved the following grades:  Excellent  Good  Very Good

If you do not fall into any of the categories above you will need to provide proof of your English language ability through the International English Language Test System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Duo Lingo

For 2022-23 entry, the University has approved the use of the online Duolingo English test as evidence of English language ability. UWS will accept an overall score between 90-115 with no component score below 90.

Placement Opportunities

PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Our MA Filmmaking course allows you exclusive access to ScreenSkills events and specialists strands within the context of national film festivals. It provides you with privileged access to industry visitors, and takes advantage of their presence in the country to run special industry events included our annual Future jobs in the Creative Industries event with the UWS Creative Media Academy.

There will also be opportunities for you to learn from the professionals who work in Film City, and on occasion, to make use of their facilities (facilities which no UK university can rival).

Placement opportunities are also likely to emerge through the Screen Scotland talent schemes in both fiction and documentary.

Recent industry guest tutors have included David Mackenzie (Director - Outlaw King, Hell or High Water), Peter Mackie Burns (Director - Daphne, Rialto) and Iain Smith OBE (Producer - Mad Max Fury Road, Children of Men).

FILM CITY

With its academic base on the UWS Ayr Campus, our course is also delivered from Film City Glasgow, the bespoke industry hub for twenty independent production companies and post-production facility houses. Film City Glasgow also boasts Scotland’s only Dolby sound mixing studio.

Career Prospects

The MA Filmmaking benefits from strong connections with the Scottish and international film industry, including access to services at Film City Glasgow and skills development support for students from film executives from the BFI, Screen Scotland and ScreenSkills UK. On graduating you will be in an excellent position to access industry funding for their future film projects, and develop viable professional careers.

Recent Filmmaking graduates have worked at the Cannes Film Festival, the Scottish Documentary Institute, the Amsterdam International Film Festival (IDFA) as well as picking up awards for their films at festivals internationally, including winning the best UK short drama award at the Royal Television Society Student awards in 2019.

Our MA Filmmaking degree will support your development of working professionally in the independent and world cinema sectors of the film industry in a variety of roles in:

• Fiction
• Documentary
• Experimental filmmaking
• Virtual reality productions